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Classroom English

I heard some Russian teachers say in class something like this: "Now your homework. Who wants to answer?" (when they want their students to present to the class some home prepared oral activities (monologues, for example) .

I am interested in the verb "to answer". Can it be used without an object in a sentence like the one above? I know that "Who wants to be the first with their homework?" or other similar phrases could be a better alternative, but I just want to know if the verb to answer can be used in the situation described?

Re: Classroom English

Originally Posted by englishhobby

I heard some Russian teachers say in class something like this: "Now your homework. Who wants to answer?" (when they want their students to present to the class some home prepared oral activities (monologues, for example) .

I am interested in the verb "to answer". Can it be used without an object in a sentence like the one above? I know that "Who wants to be the first with their homework?" or other similar phrases could be a better alternative, but I just want to know if the verb to answer can be used in the situation described?

The verb "answer" can be used without a direct object (intransitive). That sentence, however, is a bit strange.

Re: Classroom English

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

The verb "answer" can be used without a direct object (intransitive). That sentence, however, is a bit strange.

The matter is that in my language it's very common to ask a student just "to answer" which means (in my language) to start speaking on some topic they have prepared at home. I know that it's a bit strange, and I am looking for some better verb. Is there a verb in English which could be used instead of "to answer" (the verb "to start" is OK, but is there some verb closer in meaning to the verb in question (with the meaning I have described above))?

Our English teacher (he also was Russian) used to say Who wants to take the floor? But I wonder if there is a verb closer in meaning to our Russian "to answer".
It's a bit strange that native speakers can do without such an important verb. Do English teachers always have to use a few words instead of just one (like our Russian "to answer") when they want their student just "to answer"?

Re: Classroom English

Originally Posted by englishhobby

The matter is that in my language it's very common to ask a student just "to answer" which means (in my language) to start speaking on some topic he / she have prepared at home. I know that it's a bit strange, and I am looking for some better verb. Is there a verb in English which could be used instead of "to answer" (the verb "to start" is OK, but is there some verb closer in meaning to the verb in question (with the meaning I have described above))?

Our English teacher (he also was Russian) used to say Who wants to take the floor? But I wonder if there is a verb closer in meaning to our Russian "to answer".

Re: Classroom English

And one more question related to this thread: if I want to know if all the students have "answered" their homework, can I ask: "Who hasn't answered yet?"
or Who hasn't (done what) yet? (I need this phrase badly every day in class, so I want a good one, not just translated literally from my language.)

Re: Classroom English

Originally Posted by englishhobby

And one more question related to this thread: if I want to know if all the students have "answered" their homework, can I ask: "Who hasn't answered yet?"
or Who hasn't (done what) yet? (I need this phrase badly every day in class, so I want a good one, not just translated literally from my language.)